Ada07

Just to let those people who may remember me from the expats meets in 2008/9/10 (by the name of Dawn, so to some of the names I can remember, Danny, Julie, Mags, not forgetting the Scottish contingent, lol! etc) and to those feeling disheartened waiting for the final decisions/bureacracy to finish (good luck with that one!), I can now say yippee!!!! Arrived here June 2007 as a "mature student," completed my studies, found work, applied for permanent residency Feb 2008 and in April 2013 I got the approval I had been waiting for. Sounds easy when you see it like that but it sure ain't!
For on-line permanent residency applicants as oppose to citizens, it can be a bit of an anti-climax as there are no bells and whistles, no handshaking etc, just a caseworker you haven't met who works in Brisbane letting you know by email that you can stay, no passport change, just an accepted date and Medicare letting you know your Medicare card will last for 5 years now! However that's all you need. I have been lucky like so many to meet great people in Melbourne who have supported me through it and were excited and relieved that I had achieved the goal I so wanted. Oh and here's to the British Lions doing well!! (oops!)

carolinephillips

It took 5 years to grant PR??? Blimey, I thought 18 months was long enough for us.

Congratulations

Ada07

No the whole process took 5 years and 10 months, first two years as student then I applied for PR February 2008. During that time my skilled sponsored 886 took a backward step each time a decision/change was made by Immigration Dept as I was not a priority category of visa. I had got to the point of deciding that if I wasn't in the 4800 quota for 2013 (June 2013) then I would go back to UK as it wasn't worth hanging on and getting a year older. Like most people I had to work out if I should be investing in UK for eventual retirement or here. So in April this year when I heard I almost couldn't believe it.........I am starting to travel again and now can gradually work on seeing Australia (work permitting!!!)

tomar

Congratulations totally sympathise. It took my son from March 2007 to May 2012 to get PR after like you studying as a mature student for the previous 3 years.
He is applying for his citizenship now a year later. He was determined to stick it out, as he was affected by every retrospective change to the immigration rules, too many to remember.

Ada07

Good to hear of another success!! Not quite in the mindset to go to the next level, citizenship but it's worth doing I think to feel really settled.

Alfresco

Wow, that's awesome. Congratulations!